Tyler Glenn, the recently out frontman
for the Utah-based alternative rock band Neon Trees, discussed
reconciling his Mormon faith and coming out with The Rainbow
Times.
The 30-year-old Glenn came out in
April, tweeting to his followers: “Yes. I am a happy and healthy
Mormon gay pop star. I don't know what it all means, but I'm ok with
it.”
Glenn said that while he's not an
active churchgoer he loves being a Mormon.
“I go [to church] occasionally, but I
haven't actively gone to church in about seven or eight years,”
Glenn
said. “I've always kind of felt like I didn't fit in, but at
the same time, I love serving in the mission, I love the teachings, I
love The Book of Mormon. There are a lot of things I really,
really believe in.”
“It's funny. Coming out as gay –
it was almost harder to come out as Mormon.”
“I was surprised how many people
didn't know I was Mormon, that I was raised that way. I got a lot of
flak from atheists, which is interesting. A lot of gay atheists were
applauding that I was coming out, but bashing me because I decided to
still remain Mormon,” Glenn added.
Glenn said that he is single but hoping
to marry someday, adding that he's into bears: “I currently have
GROWLr [app] because I like masculine, hairy guys – I guess we call
them bears – so I have the app for that. But I'm not active on
it.”